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Many Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves. Explore the patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape.

To better understand Americans’ social media use, Pew Research Center surveyed 5,733 U.S. adults from May 19 to Sept. 5, 2023. Ipsos conducted this National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) for the Center using address-based sampling and a multimode protocol that included both web and mail. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race and ethnicity, education and other categories.

Polls from 2000 to 2021 were conducted via phone. For more on this mode shift, read our Q&A.

Here are the questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology­­­.

A note on terminology: Our May-September 2023 survey was already in the field when Twitter changed its name to “X.” The terms Twitter and X are both used in this report to refer to the same platform.

YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms. About half of U.S. adults say they use Instagram, and smaller shares use sites or apps such as TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter (X) and BeReal.


Which social media platforms are most popular

% of U.S. adults who say they ever use …

Year YouTube Facebook Instagram Pinterest TikTok LinkedIn WhatsApp Snapchat Twitter (X) Reddit BeReal Nextdoor
8/5/2012 54% 9% 10% 16% 13%
8/7/2012 14%
12/9/2012 11% 13% 13%
12/16/2012 57%
5/19/2013 15%
7/14/2013 16%
9/16/2013 57% 14% 17% 17% 14%
9/30/2013 16%
1/26/2014 16%
9/21/2014 58% 21% 22% 23% 19%
4/12/2015 62% 24% 26% 22% 20%
4/4/2016 68% 28% 26% 25% 21%
1/10/2018 73% 68% 35% 29% 25% 22% 27% 24%
2/7/2019 73% 69% 37% 28% 27% 20% 24% 22% 11%
2/8/2021 81% 69% 40% 31% 21% 28% 23% 25% 23% 18% 13%
9/5/2023 83% 68% 47% 35% 33% 30% 29% 27% 22% 22% 3%

Note: The vertical line indicates a change in mode. Polls from 2012-2021 were conducted via phone. In 2023, the poll was conducted via web and mail. For more details on this shift, please read our Q&A. Refer to the topline for more information on how question wording varied over the years. Pre-2018 data is not available for YouTube, Snapchat or WhatsApp; pre-2019 data is not available for Reddit; pre-2021 data is not available for TikTok; pre-2023 data is not available for BeReal. Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2012-2023.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER


Usage of the major online platforms varies by factors such as age, gender and level of formal education.

Ages 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+
Facebook 67 75 69 58
Instagram 78 59 35 15
LinkedIn 32 40 31 12
Twitter (X) 42 27 17 6
Pinterest 45 40 33 21
Snapchat 65 30 13 4
YouTube 93 92 83 60
WhatsApp 32 38 29 16
Reddit 44 31 11 3
TikTok 62 39 24 10
BeReal 12 3 1 <1
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
Men Women
Facebook 59 76
Instagram 39 54
LinkedIn 31 29
Twitter (X) 26 19
Pinterest 19 50
Snapchat 21 32
YouTube 82 83
WhatsApp 27 31
Reddit 27 17
TikTok 25 40
BeReal 2 5
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
White Black Hispanic Asian*
Facebook 69 64 66 67
Instagram 43 46 58 57
LinkedIn 30 29 23 45
Twitter (X) 20 23 25 37
Pinterest 36 28 32 30
Snapchat 25 25 35 25
YouTube 81 82 86 93
WhatsApp 20 31 54 51
Reddit 21 14 23 36
TikTok 28 39 49 29
BeReal 3 1 4 9
* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only. 
Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
Less than $30,000 $30,000- $69,999 $70,000- $99,999 $100,000+
Facebook 63 70 74 68
Instagram 37 46 49 54
LinkedIn 13 19 34 53
Twitter (X) 18 21 20 29
Pinterest 27 34 35 41
Snapchat 27 30 26 25
YouTube 73 83 86 89
WhatsApp 26 26 33 34
Reddit 12 23 22 30
TikTok 36 37 34 27
BeReal 3 3 3 5
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
High school or less Some college College graduate+
Facebook 63 71 70
Instagram 37 50 55
LinkedIn 10 28 53
Twitter (X) 15 24 29
Pinterest 26 42 38
Snapchat 26 32 23
YouTube 74 85 89
WhatsApp 25 23 39
Reddit 14 23 30
TikTok 35 38 26
BeReal 3 4 4
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
Urban Suburban Rural
Facebook 66 68 70
Instagram 53 49 38
LinkedIn 31 36 18
Twitter (X) 25 26 13
Pinterest 31 36 36
Snapchat 29 26 27
YouTube 85 85 77
WhatsApp 38 30 20
Reddit 29 24 14
TikTok 36 31 33
BeReal 4 4 2
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.
Rep/Lean Rep Dem/Lean Dem
Facebook 70 67
Instagram 43 53
LinkedIn 29 34
Twitter (X) 20 26
Pinterest 35 35
Snapchat 27 28
YouTube 82 84
WhatsApp 25 33
Reddit 20 25
TikTok 30 36
BeReal 4 4
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.

Find out more

This fact sheet was compiled by Research Assistant Olivia Sidoti, with help from Research Analyst Risa Gelles-Watnick, Research Analyst Michelle Faverio, Digital Producer Sara Atske, Associate Information Graphics Designer Kaitlyn Radde and Temporary Researcher Eugenie Park.

Follow these links for more in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on American life.

Find more reports and blog posts related to internet and technology.

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